Art director Tommy Washbush (left) and staff writer Eric Murphy
New hires for 2023! Art director Tommy Washbush left, and staff writer Eric Murphy. (Kitty Stiltz is not on payroll.)
Tommy Washbush has joined Isthmus Community Media as art director and Eric Murphy as staff writer.
Judith Davidoff, Isthmus editor and president, says the organization is thrilled to have both employees on board.
“Tommy has been designing the monthly print product as an independent contractor since Isthmus returned to print as a monthly in August 2021 and we are extremely grateful that we are able to bring him on staff full time,” says Davidoff. “He is an extremely talented and highly sought-after graphic designer and illustrator,” she adds, “and always delivers the kind of quality product that Isthmus readers expect.”
Washbush oversees the design and presentation of Isthmus’ website and monthly print issue. He will continue to shepherd our front cover illustrations and illustrate covers and stories himself. He won the gold for best newspaper design in the 2021 Milwaukee Press Club awards.
Born and raised in Madison, Washbush worked in the design department at Isthmus for 10 years before moving to New Hampshire in 2018. He returned to Madison in 2021. A graduate of the design program at Madison College, he continues to have close ties with the program and has recruited many graduates to illustrate recent covers of Isthmus, including Kay Reynolds, Kristin Shafel and Meghan Griffin. You can reach him at twashbush@isthmus.com.
Murphy is also a native Madisonian who grew up on the east and north sides of town, attending Lapham and Marquette elementary schools, Georgia O'Keeffe Middle School, and East High School. He has a master’s degree in journalism from the University of California Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. He covered housing and other neighborhood issues while working for Mission Local, a nonprofit outlet in San Francisco.
At Isthmus he will focus on housing, urban development, public safety and other neighborhood and city issues. You can reach him at emurphy@isthmus.com.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome Eric to our staff,” says Davidoff. “Born in Madison and a product of the city’s public schools, Eric is a data nerd who is deeply interested in what those numbers mean for the lives of people. He will be closely following the issues most impacting Madison residents, including the housing crisis and gaps in opportunity and access.”
Isthmus shuttered operations in March 2020 due to COVID-19 and laid off its staff. A small editorial crew transitioned the paper to a nonprofit in October 2021. The staff now numbers 6.5 full-time employees.
